


Facade

by milkfruit



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: (kind of), Crack, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, disguises, rated T for swearing!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22398808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkfruit/pseuds/milkfruit
Summary: Yamamoto takes Himeko’s dainty hand in his and says softly, “Say yes.”
Relationships: Belphegor/Yamamoto Takeshi, Himeko Hariyama/Yamamoto Takeshi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

Bel had to thank Mammon one of these days. He was simply having  _ too much fun  _ in this Himeko disguise.

He had grown close to Haru and Kyoko, and he enjoyed the outings they went on. Cafes, outlet stores, bakeries, beaches… But  _ especially  _ sushi places. In particular, Bel had grown fond of Take Sushi. It was local, but it was still top-notch in terms of quality. They didn’t go there often, but when they did, it was almost inevitable that they’d run into Yamamoto.

Yamamoto always tried to help out his dad behind the counter, but Tsuyoshi was constantly telling him to back off and have fun with his friends instead. Defeated, he’d converse with the girls instead. When Kyoko introduced Hime, Yamamoto eagerly shakes her hand. Bel saw this as a prime opportunity to mess with the Vongola brat.

“Ah, in truth, I already know about you, Yamamoto-kun! You’re somewhat of a celebrity at Namimori, aren’t you?”

Yamamoto bashfully scratches his cheek and looks elsewhere. “Well, I suppose, but my baseball skills really aren’t a big deal,” He chuckles warmly. He was so modest. Himeko giggles.

“No need to be humble,” she says. “I can see right through you. You like being famous and well-liked, don’t you? I bet you’re super popular with the girls, Yamamoto-kun,”

Yamamoto is embarrassed by her words, but tries to save face by changing the subject. “Have we met before, Himeko-chan? You know more about me than I do,”

This makes Haru and Kyoko laugh along with him, though Hime just narrowed her eyes dangerously as she sips her tea. Her grin eventually returns, though, and she sounds just as chipper as usual when she speaks again. “I hope to know even  _ more _ about you, Yamamoto-kun~ It was nice meeting you, but Haru, Kyoko, and I are off to study at Kyoko’s,”

“Not that  _ you  _ need to study, Hime-chan!” Kyoko says, smiling brightly. “You’re already so smart! Haru and I have trouble keeping up,” She praises, and Hime just puts on a cheery face.

“Aw, it’s nothin’,” she replies. “I like helping you out.”

They say their goodbyes, Yamamoto staying at the shop while Hime and the others went off their own way.

…After they were out of sight, Yamamoto sighs and feels himself ball his hands into fists involuntarily. That laugh… the knives he saw in her bag while it was open just a crack… It couldn’t be mistaken. Himeko was Belphegor of the Varia. He didn’t know why or how, but she was definitely hiding her true identity from Yamamoto for some reason, even though they were allies for the time being.

He vowed to get to the bottom of this.

Soon after their meeting, Yamamoto noticed that Himeko would attend his games every now and again. Yamamoto was a bit distracted by her presence, and he found himself only noticing her in the stands. Even her voice was distinctive. Yamamoto had to calm himself down, had to take a moment to collect himself so that he wouldn’t just be paying attention to Hime the whole time.

When the game was over, Tsuna and the others – including Hime – flocked to Yamamoto’s side, congratulating him on a job well done. Ryohei throws an arm around Yamamoto, while Himeko takes a hold of Yamamoto’s arm and lays her head on his shoulder.

“You were so cool, Yamamoto-kun,” she compliments him, snuggling close to him. “You scored the winning homerun too!”

“I see baseball idiot’s got at least one fan…” Gokudera says under his breath to Tsuna, and the girls giggle as Yamamoto clearly looks flustered. Bel may have been embarrassing Yamamoto just for kicks… This new identity of his was almost  _ too  _ convincing.

“Haha, it was nothing,” Yamamoto says, his usual happy-go-lucky self shining through. Yamamoto had literally just knocked it out of the park, and yet he was still so humble and earnest… Bel wondered where he got all his kindness from. “I couldn’t have done it without you all cheering me on!”

Kyoko and Haru insist it was mostly Himeko that was hyping him up, to which Yamamoto countered that he had heard everyone’s voices equally. This seemed to annoy Hime.

“Aww, you really didn’t hear me or feel my passion, Yamamoto-kun? You’re so mean~”

Yamamoto can feel his heart twist at this sickly sweet act she was putting on.

“That’s right! You should always acknowledge a girl’s passionate feelings!” Haru chimes in, stealing a quick glance af Tsuna. 

Yamamoto suddenly got a good idea. And he wasn’t about to let it pass him, he needed to let Bel know he wasn’t going to be toyed with so easily.

“Then why don’t you drop by after school practice sometime, Himeko? I’d love to see you there,”

Yamamoto can tell Hime’s facade had dropped for just an  _ instant, _ when he sees her face drop and soften in horror. But then she’s suddenly back to being normal Himeko again, her face lighting up, a flush on her fair cheeks and her lips stretching in an almost chilling smile.

“I’d love to!”

Sure enough, just a week later (usually the intervals between their meetings are longer), Yamamoto saw Hime at one of his afternoon practices, where she and a small gaggle of other girls watch from the other side of the fence surrounding the field. While the other girls squeal their usual chorus of  _ “Takeshiiiii!”, _ Himeko just looks on with a smile, her fingers between the gaps in the fence. 

_ She actually came. _

Yamamoto, instead of being  _ distracted  _ by her presence, feels motivated to work even harder. And this proves fruitful, his pitches becoming more precise, his running even faster, and his batting ability more sharp. He felt that having her there was oddly comforting. 

Which felt weird to say, knowing that it was  _ Bel. _

Once the mock-game was over, Yamamoto exits the field, all dirtied and sweaty. Multiple girls were offering them their towels and water bottles, but they must have felt insulted when Yamamoto walks past all of them without so much as a greeting to get to Hime.

Himeko seemed like she wasn’t expecting this. In fact, she almost looked like she was surprised. Yamamoto removes his helmet, and shakes out his sweat-damp hair, his bangs sticking to his forehead.

“Yo,” he greets, and the crowd of girls still hadn’t dispersed. Bel grits his teeth, feeling the heat rise to his face. 

“H-Hello, Yamamoto-kun!” She offers back, though she didn’t seem too confident. “I didn’t think you saw me,”

“Of course I did! You’re, like, my number one fan now, haha,” he starts, and Hime laughs that charming ‘ _ shishishi’  _ that Yamamoto was all too used to hearing. In this time, the other girls had all gone home, dispersing not long after Yamamoto walked up to Hime. “But… in all seriousness…”

“Hm~?”

_ Good,  _ Yamamoto thinks. They’re alone. Now he can prove that he has the high ground once and for all. 

“I was wondering… I mean…” Damn, this was easier said than done. “I wanted to know if you’d like to go out with me sometime? Just you and me?”

Bel can feel his heart beat faster and suddenly it feels as if he’s been dunked head-first under freezing water, like a baptism in acid. Hime blushes hard, her whole face flooding with color. 

“H-Huh?”

“To be more direct,” Yamamoto was loving the way Bel was reacting; he’d be going back to the Varia with his tail between his legs at this point. “I want you to be my date.”

Bel swallows, looking elsewhere, twirling a piece of red hair around his finger, not knowing how to react. “O-Oh, Yamamoto-kun… I don’t know what to say…”

Bel wanted to say no, to end all this and stop moonlighting as Himeko. But on the other hand, how could he do that now? He had already come this far and teased him this much. If he said yes, it would cement the identity and Bel could continue his mission of spying on Tsuna’s group. It would also make him less suspicious to the others, and he really didn’t want to stop hanging out with Haru and Kyoko…

Then, as if to sway Hime further, Yamamoto grabs one of her dainty hands in his and says softly, “Say yes.”

And Himeko’s breathing hitches, her whole body tightening up in equal amounts of frustration and humiliation. Despite this, she forces a smile and says, “I will.  _ Takeshi.” _

_ That  _ part made Yamamoto himself become warm all over and he felt himself get a head rush… Who knew that being called by his first name would sound so beautiful coming from her lips?

But that was beside the point!

“Great!” He says, releasing a bated breath, and just like that, Hime is able to slip her hand away and they were both sweaty, reddened fools now. “I’ll pick you up Saturday at 7, okay? I don’t have practice that day. Is that alright with you?”

“It’s perfect,” she agrees.

_ Fuck, _ Bel thinks.  _ I need to tell Mammon we’ll be in Japan for a little longer... _

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Himeko and Yamamoto have their first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy just sayin' before there's any confusion that I headcanon Mammon as agender and using the singular 'they' as their pronouns.

“Mammon, the prince is in deep shit,”

Himeko meets Monta back at their usual meetup place; an alleyway on the outskirts of town. There, Monta — or, rather, Mammon — deactivates the illusion and exposes their true forms. Mammon notices that Bel is more stressed than usual.

“Muu? This isn’t like you, Bel. What happened?”

Bel was nervously twisting a piece of his hair around his finger, yanking it with every other word he spoke. “You’re not gonna like it but… Himeko has a date on Saturday.”

Mammon says nothing for a long while. “Saturday?” They ask. “...That will delay our return to Italy by a day.”

_That’s all they have to say about it??_

“Um, hellooooo, Mammon, I _said_ the princess has a _date!”_

“I heard you.” Mammon replies flatly. “Honestly, I don’t particularly care if or how you fraternize with the brats.” 

Bel feels like he can sigh in relief, but Mammon wasn’t done. “Unfortunately for you, I’ll have to be honest with the Boss, but I don’t think he’ll care either way if we’re late or not. It’s not as if we’re drowning in other work right now.”

Bel frowns, knowing that he’d _never_ live this down if the others found out. But it’s not like he could disappear now…

“So, I’ll prolong our stay. But you owe me for this,”

“Yeah, yeah,”

* * *

Mammon never asked for more details, but they seemed to know more than they let on. “When will Yamamoto come?” They ask, and Himeko looks at Monta in the mirror as she brushes her hair out, leaving it down instead of in her usual ponytail. (Mammon cooked up an illusion to make it look like Himeko actually had a place instead of having Yamamoto pick her up at a hotel, so she was expecting him any minute now.)

“So eager to get rid of me? Shishishi,” 

Monta rolls his eyes. Just as Hime finished putting on her lipgloss, there’s a knock at the door. Hime practically leaps up to get it, and when she answers the door, she resolves that she’s going to drown Yamamoto in so much love that he won’t want to go out with her anymore. So, the door opens and Himeko immediately throws her arms around Yamamoto’s shoulders, forcing him to swing her around onto the front stoop.

“Haha, it’s nice to see you too!” Yamamoto says, holding her by the waist as she sways onto her feet, shifting from foot to foot as she buries her face into his neck.

They separate after a few moments, and they start walking down in the opposite direction that Yamamoto came from. “Sooo, where to?” Himeko questions, looking at their elongated shadows on the sidewalk from the sunset. Internally, Bel wondered where exactly this type of guy would take him. Bel hoped it was nothing sports related.

Yamamoto seems to perk up a bit. “Ah! There’s this Arcade in town you need to see,” Yamamoto seemed excited about it already, and Himeko found his joy to be contagious. “It’s super big and they have games there that no other place has,”

“Sounds like fun,” Himeko stretches, grinning up at her new boyfriend. “But be prepared, I’m going to beat you at _every. Game. They. Have._ Shishishi,” Her giggle makes Yamamoto’s stomach turn. He still couldn’t believe he was doing this with Bel of all people, but his mission was to make Bel as uncomfortable as possible, so that’s what he was going to do. (Little did he know, however, that Bel’s own intentions were similar.)

“I’m looking forward to it,”

They make smalltalk on the way there, discussing school, Himeko’s friendship with the girls, and Yamamoto makes an observation that Himeko’s hair was down for once. Himeko gingerly admits she did it for him, and Yamamoto feels strangely bashful about it.

This all felt so fake. Like he wasn’t talking to the real Bel. Bel was just putting on an act for him, to try to seem like the perfect girl, and an obedient and girlish partner to him. Yamamoto only really got a glance at Bel’s personality when Bel asserted he’d beat Yamamoto at the arcade games, but… Yamamoto was admittedly curious. He’d get more of Bel’s true character out of him by the end of the night, that’s what he promised himself.

They arrive at the arcade, and once it was in sight, Bel grabs Yamamoto’s hand and excitedly runs toward it, making Yamamoto stumble a bit from the sheer abruptness of it all. He catches up to her, though, their running in sync as they enter.

Himeko looks around curiously, and Bel notes that arcades in Japan are fucking _insane._ Full of rhythm games and retro cabinets and VR experiences, too… It really was a spectacle.

“Is this your first time being inside an arcade, Himeko?” Yamamoto asks from beside her, and Bel felt like admitting that he’d only been in small-time Western arcades before, but of course he couldn’t just say that. So he makes something up.

“I just haven’t seen one this big before,” Himeko seems overwhelmed at the size of the joint. “It’s huge!”

“Haha, I told you you needed to see it to believe it,” Yamamoto starts to go on ahead, and Himeko follows him inside, though she walked slowly, taking in her surroundings. “What do you want to start with?”

They begin by playing one of those motorcycle games, first playing one on one, to which Hime won… Of course. “I guess you weren’t lying about beating me at everything,” Yamamoto laughs, and Himeko just has this look of competitiveness written all over her face. Yamamoto can tell Bel was the type that didn’t tolerate losing; he was definitely a sore loser, if the past ring battles had anything to say about it. “I have to get serious too.”

“You can try as hard as you like, you still won’t come close.”

_That_ seemed like something Bel would say. But Yamamoto liked a challenge, so he played Hime in two more rounds, only for her to win every time. She was an aggressive player, constantly smashing into Yamamoto’s character to throw him off the road. And it worked, which was annoying.

The last round, some stranger wanted to play against Hime, to which she looked to Yamamoto for approval. “It’s up to you,” Yamamoto shrugs. Himeko cracks her knuckles and accepts right away.

“Stand back, Yamamoto-kun, you’re about to witness a murder,” she says, and Bel was absolutely letting himself show his true disposition. The other patron laughs at her, proclaiming loudly that he’d never lose to a girl. Yamamoto doesn’t stand aside, though. Instead, he gets on the bike with Himeko, sitting behind her with his hands on her waist. He can feel Himeko’s breathing stop for a moment, but other than that, she must be too focused on winning to react.

Sure enough, Himeko _creams_ this guy, with little to no effort at all. He challenges her to a rematch, but she keeps her confident grin, saying, “Nah. It’s boring playing against weaklings.”

She then turns to Yamamoto, motioning with her chin for him to follow her.

Next was a shooter, and the guns were handguns that you needed to “reload” in order to play. Yamamoto couldn’t get the hang of reloading, but to Hime it just came naturally. Yamamoto wondered if Bel actually knew how to fire a gun, or if he just knew so much by watching his teammates. By the way Bel held the gun and used it with such expertise, it was hard to tell.

Bel beats Yamamoto, but Yamamoto insists it’s only because he was at a disadvantage since he didn’t figure out how to reload the weapon. Sighing, Himeko shoves her gun back into the plastic holster at the front of the machine. “You’re hopeless, Takeshi~”

_Shishishi, he’s a Mafioso but he can’t even fire a gun?_

She comes behind him and puts her hands over his, reaching around him with her chest pressed to his back. Yamamoto can feel himself turn red as her hands guide his to the front of the gun, and she shows him how to cock the gun back. Then her warmth is sapped from him, Yamamoto letting go of a breath as she moves away.

“See? It’s super easy,”

The next few games were Dance Dance Revolution (which Yamamoto was _awful_ at, he insisted playing on Easy after Medium proved too much), button-smasher retro games, and then finished with fighting games.

True to her word, Himeko had beaten him at everything.

But Yamamoto wasn’t a sore loser like Bel, and he felt….weirdly content to see Himeko acting all high and mighty, with her nose in the air and her body language confident and almost pompous. Yep, Bel liked to win alright.

“Shishishi, I hope you’re not too offended that I beat you, Yamamoto-kun,”

“Of course not,” Yamamoto puts an arm around her shoulder as they take their tickets to the front desk. “You were great! I gotta say, you’re a real genius at this kind of stuff.”

At the ticket counter, they deliberate on what to buy until Yamamoto spots a set of plastic rings that look almost like their Guardian rings; one red and one blue. Yamamoto gets those, while Himeko gets a cute stuffed shiba-inu.

At the exact same time, they shove their gifts into each other’s faces, exchanging their purchases with each other at once. They laugh, and accept each other’s gift happily.

When Himeko opens the little box holding the rings, her eyes sparkle with intrigue. It instantly reminded Bel of the rings they already possessed, but these were somehow more meaningful.

“Here, Yamamoto-kun, you take this one, so we match!” Himeko gives Yamamoto the blue ring with the silver trim, while Hime keeps the red ring with gold trim. She puts it on immediately and holds her hand up to the light, admiring it as a symbol of Yamamoto’s dedication to her.

Yamamoto puts his on too, and it felt as if he were making a promise to Bel in that moment.

They walk back partway together, Yamamoto holding his stuffed shiba, and Himeko glancing at the ring on her hand every few minutes. When they have to part ways, Himeko says, “I had fun, Yamamoto-kun! Um…” She hesitates, and bites her lip.

_No,_ Bel thinks. _I can’t afford to ask him out on another date. Mammon wouldn’t allow it._

And yet…

Bel felt like he’d like to do this again…? He had fun with Haru and Kyoko too, of course, and he couldn’t wait to tell them about their date, but at the same time, Bel knew he couldn’t stick around along...

“Can we do this again?”


	3. Chapter 3

Their next date was scheduled for Sunday, the very next day. They deliberated about it for a bit, but in the end, it just worked out best for both of them if their dates were consecutive. Yamamoto and Bel were certain things were moving too fast, but they both considered themselves on a time budget. (Of course, Bel didn’t let Yamamoto know that, so when Yamamoto suggested they go out the following day, Himeko gushes, “Yamamoto-kuuuun, you’re moving too fast for me~!”)

So, the day comes, and this time it was Himeko who was coming to get Yamamoto. She walks to Take Sushi with pep in her step, and comes right in as if she were a customer. Tsuyoshi greets her with a cheerful “Welcome!”, and it didn’t look like Yamamoto was waiting around for her in the shop; he was probably upstairs (she WAS early, after all). 

“Hello!” She steps further inside, comfortable enough with the establishment to make herself at home at one of the booths. “My name is Hariyama Himeko! I’m here for Yamamoto-kun?”

Tsuyoshi stops chopping scallions for a moment, looking at her inquisitively. “For Takeshi?” He questions, and then seems to remember something. “Ah! Are you the girl he went on a date with yesterday?”

“I am!” She twirls her hair around her finger, giggling. “We’re going out again tonight,”

“Yeah? That sure was quick! Takeshi must really like you,”

“Shishishi, I own Yamamoto-kun’s heart, after all,” she says, and Tsuyoshi calls up for his son, a booming “ _ TAKESHI” _ ringing through the house.  _ Geez,  _ Bel thinks.  _ Almost as loud as Squalo… _

Yamamoto comes down, obeying his father right away.

Himeko stands, and immediately latches onto Yamamoto, who was used to this behavior by now. “Himeko,” he mutters under his breath. “Not in front of my dad,”

“Oh, Takeshi, it’s alright by me,” Tsuyoshi pipes up from behind the counter. “Have fun tonight, you two!”

With that, they look at each other briefly, and Himeko laughs her signature ‘ _ shishishi, _ ’ as her hold on his arm becomes tighter. He escorts her outside, and they begin to walk toward town. 

“What did you wanna do?” Yamamoto asks, and Himeko thinks for a moment… There was a lot they could do, but Hime decided on the beach as it was still daylight and it was warm out.

“The beach?” Yamamoto repeats back, blinking once. Then a smile breaks out across his face, a nostalgic, warm one. “I haven’t been to the beach in a long time… I think it could be a good idea!”

“Okay, but no swimming! I didn’t bring a swimsuit,” Himeko objects, and Yamamoto agreed on her terms.

The beach was bustling of course, but that didn’t stop Hime from gawking at the sights; the people, the sand, the ocean, and the many stalls set up around the boardwalk. 

She was overwhelmed by it all, and Yamamoto just watches as she inhales the sea breeze deeply, closing her eyes and letting the wind tickle her face.

This was Bel he was seeing right now.

The Varia prodigy was enjoying himself. He was letting his cover slip, even just a little. 

But before Yamamoto could say anything, the moment was over, and she was turning to him with a grin and saying, “Look, takoyaki!” She yanks on Yamamoto’s sleeve, tugging him along. “Let’s grab some before the line gets too long!”

So they do! They eat takoyaki sticks and sit on a bench and people watch silently. When Yamamoto looks over at her, she’s giggling to herself and taking big mouthfuls of takoyaki. She looked so cute, like a real doll come to life (except not as graceful, what with her mouth being full of octopus). This raw version of her -- mouth stuffed and laughing with big, flushed cheeks -- this was perfect. He didn’t even know he was staring at her until she looks over at him.

“Aren’t you gonna eat your takoyaki?” She asks, and Bel subconsciously laughs to himself in sheer arrogance. He knew he looked beautiful like this.

He wondered… maybe… if he would look this beautiful to Yamamoto in his true form??

_ Eh, whatever,  _ Bel thinks, and Himeko leans over to bite a piece of takoyaki off Yamamoto’s stick.

She chews it, and Yamamoto uses his thumb to wipe some sauce off her bottom lip, and then sucks it off his finger quickly. When he smiles down at her innocently, Bel can feel his face turning warm and red. That was… really unexpected. But he supposed that at this point in the game, Yamamoto was just matching Himeko’s teasing point-for-point. And he was damn good at it, too.

Himeko pouts, elbowing him playfully. “Hey!” She scolds. “No fair!”

Yamamoto laughs, and Himeko finds herself smiling again.

After that, they decide to hit up the sand and build sandcastles. Of course, Himeko’s was taller and more extravagant than Yamamoto’s. Then, they shop around at the local outlets, where Yamamoto watches Himeko try on all sorts of clothes.

Each outfit was cuter than the last, and he came to the conclusion that Bel liked wearing frills and lace the most. His mind wandered, wondering if Bel would wear these kinds of clothes for him in his normal form, and not just as Himeko… Particularly, he wanted to see him in the pink dress Himeko puts on for him, twirling around in it so that he could better see the frills underneath.

She ends up buying the dress, and Yamamoto was convinced Bel wore that kind of stuff in his free time.

They finish with a walk on the beach, and by that time, the sun had already begun to set.

They walk along the shore, shoes in one hand, their lovers’ hand in the other, and Bel loves the feel of Yamamoto’s big, calloused hand in his. Hime walked closer to the water, feeling the sand and small ripples in between her toes. 

“Yamamoto-kun,” she says quietly, her red hair outlined by the golden glow of the sunset behind her. She was smiling so softly and serenely, like she belonged her with him, the warmth on her skin and Yamamoto’s hand in hers. “This has been so fun,” she closes her eyes. “I’ll miss you a lot when I have to go back home on Wednesday,”

Yamamoto puts two and two together, realizing that Bel’s time limit was contingent on when he’d have to go back to Italy. Which was soon. And, in truth, Yamamoto was enjoying himself a lot too. He wanted Bel to stay, to be himself so that he could get to know Bel more. He got glimpses into Bel’s true nature, but nothing concrete… While some of Bel’s reactions were genuine, it wasn’t the same as spending time with the real Bel…

He grips her hand tighter. “I’ll miss you too,” he says, and his gaze is cast downward. He had given Hime his contact info, but he wasn’t sure what he  _ was _ to Bel yet. He still had no clue if Bel was still messing with him or not.

“Himeko… What am I to you?”

“Eh~? What’s that supposed to mean?” She was dodging the question, as expected. “I’m dating you… Aren’t I?” 

They stop their stroll for the time being, pausing at the lip of the ocean and the sand. 

“Am I just a plaything?” He asks, suddenly more serious than Hime’s ever seen him. “Or are you serious?”

“W-Well, I--”

Yamamoto touches her cheek, and she freezes up instantly. Her face trembles a bit under his touch. 

“I like you. Bel.”

Her eyes widen, and she backs up a few steps, stepping right out of his grasp, though slowly and hesitantly. “Y-You…!” She felt like retreating for today, but  _ something  _ was keeping her there… “How did you--?”

“Because I’m more observant than I look.” He says, a dark hint to his tone. “So, won’t you answer me? What--?”

But then, Yamamoto’s phone rings, and it’s his father. Himeko stares silently, so he answers it, never facing away from her because he was afraid she’d run if he dared to do that. Tsuyoshi was telling him that Gokudera, Tsuna, and Haru were looking for him… Crap. He hadn’t told anyone about Hime, let alone Bel.

“...Go to them.” Hime says, catching Yamamoto by surprise. “I’ll come to see you tomorrow.” And with that, she actually  _ does  _ run, a “Bye-biiiii~” escaping her as she does.

Yamamoto hoped she was telling the truth.


End file.
